The Cursed Fae (Accessory to Magic Book 2)
Page 28
Ah. So that was what she’d done with his sigil.
Most likely, Jessica had performed her own personal touch of protective spellwork around the desk itself. But there was still a chance she’d missed something, perhaps some small opening for him to find and pry apart. She had, after all, forgotten to include in the terms of their binding this desk and the coin he now knew lay within it. She was clever, yes. He’d give her that much. But not nearly clever enough. And Leandras had been around—in this world and the other—far longer than she could comprehend.
Focusing what little remained of his strength, he summoned an Oculus Ocárre, just to see for himself. The magic at his fingertips sputtered and sparked in flashes of silver and black light. Leandras gritted his teeth and tried harder. How could he possibly be running this low on magic now, of all times? He’d been so careful to preserve what he’d had even before his enemies had converged on his home to keep him from his gúlmai. He’d been so meticulous in his planning, and now it was all falling apart around him.
Because of her.
The fae readied himself for another surge of concentration, but the fast scrabble of what sounded like nails across the ground broke his attention. He didn’t have time to look for the source of the noise before a loud warning hiss startled him so much, he jumped in the chair.
The massive lizard using this establishment as its personal habitat skittered in front of Leandras and stopped to stare at the fae. Then it cocked its head, hissed again, and waited.
Leandras narrowed his eyes. Best to ignore the small distractions and try again.
The second he summoned his magic at his fingertips, the lizard raced across the floor, somehow managed to climb up the back of the desk, and stopped in the middle of its marred, dented surface. Another loud hiss escaped the creature’s open mouth, followed by a puff of glowing golden mist from its throat that echoed in its flashing golden eyes. It crouched, extended one clawed foot over the edge of the center drawer, and covered the melted lock with its reptilian appendage.
The fae could most certainly recognize a warning when he saw one. Most warnings meant very little to him in and of themselves, but what unnerved Leandras more than anything was that he’d never seen a creature like this one, on either side of the Gateway, with this level of intelligence and an obvious working knowledge of its own magic.
And Leandras was in no position to fight even a lizard at this juncture.
With a long, slow sigh, he leaned back in the armchair again and lowered his hand to his thigh. The reptile glared at him, mouth still agape, claw still extended over the drawer’s melted lock.
“To be clear, I’ve never liked you,” he muttered.
The lizard hissed even louder this time but didn’t move.
No matter. It was best Jessica opened this drawer and removed the sigil of her own volition. There was no other way to complete what must be done now that Tabitha had found the apprentice no one truly expected her to find. Each and every step along the way had to be Jessica’s decision and hers alone. She had to believe she was in control of all of it. And now it was Leandras’ duty to ensure just that.
Once she retrieved his gúlmai for him—if she retrieved it and survived—the real work would begin.
What Happens Next to Jessica Northwood?
Save the fae. Unbury the past. And don’t freak out in the city.
With all odds stacked against her, Jessica Northwood only has one choice. To protect the Gateway, she has to protect herself. And it comes with a terrible cost.
Now that Leandras the fae can fulfill his end of their agreement, what he tells Jessica about the Gateway and the world on the other side only causes more problems. She has to protect this portal dark magicals would kill to get their hands on—and have tried—but trusting Leandras is easier said than done. Especially when the fae leads her down dark alleys and into secret meetings and won’t explain a thing.
When the rest of her wiped memories come crashing back to her, everything changes. Because now Jessica knows exactly who’s coming after her, and it has nothing to do with the bank. Only unlikely alliances and deadly promises can help her now—hopefully not as deadly as the powerful forces chasing her down on both sides of the Gateway.
Ilona Andrews’ Innkeeper Chronicles meets The Magicians in this snarky, fast-paced Urban Fantasy Adventure from International Bestselling Author Kathrin Hutson.
Grab your copy now and continue the chaos!
Acknowledgments
To all of those involved in the creation of this series, especially the industry professionals who have been beside me the whole way and have become my friends: Christie Stratos, Mickey Mikkelson, Rebecca Hamilton, Rachel Rawlings, and Christian Bentulan.
To all my ARC readers, fans, and followers, and fellow book nerds, including Jessica Halsey, Hannah Baller, Stephanie Mirro, and Kath.
A special thank you goes out to everyone who took a chance on a new-to-them author with this series and who has already reached out to share their thoughts, leave reviews, and help spread the love. My mind is blown by how much support Jessica Northwood and her unfailingly stubborn attitude have already received.
And as always, I must and forever will thank my husband Henry, who puts up with my one-track writer’s brain and makes it possible for this to be my sole focus. We’re getting closer to our own next adventure.
A Note from the Author
It’s the beginning of 2021—a new year, a new era, and hopefully a chance for all of us to sit back and watch the changes roll in. Positive changes this time.
I’ve been and still am so fortunate to be able to say that I’ve put out three new books (and over forty others ghostwritten for my clients) during the 2020 pandemic still stretching its way into 2021. And while I’m so proud of and grateful for the ability to have continued doing what I love, I’m even more excited to be bringing these new stories to all of you.
So many of you have reached out to me as I’ve been writing the Accessory to Magic series, after reading either the ARCs or your own copies after publication. The overwhelmingly positive response I’ve been getting from these books—which embody a huge pivot in the way I write and what I’m hoping to achieve—has only convinced me that much more that I’m on the right track.
As I sit down and write out this little note, I’m looking forward to the rest of the month. To seeing things change for America as a country at the end of January (and that’s as political as you’ll ever see me get). To watching my kid grow and light up and get a bigger and smarter attitude every day—much like Jessica (am I manifesting this in my kid?). To planning an upcoming trip with my husband for March that will be our first and only vacation “just for us” in eight and a half years of traveling back and forth across the country like it was our job.
And I’m writing Book 3, The Secret Coin, with all these things in mind. With you guys in mind. Because while I’m here behind my computer screen day in and day out, pumping away at the keyboard, I know all of you are out there living your lives and occasionally diving into a book that catches you in its grasp and makes itself hard to put down.
I hope my stories continue to be on that list of reads for you. That you can find some escape, humor, and light in these pages. That all the mystery and high-octane chaos falling down over and over again on Jessica Northwood’s head helps these darker days of winter (literally and figuratively) feel a little warmer. Maybe not as long as they once did. So please, laugh all you want at the antics. Root for the bank-owner witch who’s too stubborn for her own good but with all the best intentions. Keep joining me on this journey. I wouldn’t be here without you.
And yes, I promise all the questions you’re asking after this book will be answered in the next. No point in keeping you waiting that long.
We’ve all had enough waiting, I think.
Kathrin Hutson (January 2021)
Connect with Kathrin
Visit KathrinHutsonFiction.com for new and updates on more Urban Fan
tasy, LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction, Dark Fantasy, and Dystopian Sci-Fi. You can also sign up for Kathrin’s newsletter, where you get some exclusive dark surprises not seen anywhere else.
Check out Kathrin Hutson’s Other Series
Accessory to Magic (Dark Urban Fantasy)
The Witching Vault
The Cursed Fae
The Secret Coin
Do you like Dark Fantasy?
Check out Kathrin Hutson’s other series:
The Unclaimed Trilogy (NA Dark Fantasy):
Sanctuary of Dehlyn
Secret of Dehlyn
Sacrament of Dehlyn
Gyenona’s Children Duology
(Grimdark Fantasy)
“The Jungle Meets Kill Bill… with dragons!”
Daughter of the Drackan
Mother of the Drackan
And don’t miss the International Bestselling LGBTQ Dystopian Sci-Fi series, Blue Helix
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo meets X-Men.”
Sleepwater Beat
Sleepwater Static
About the Author
International Bestselling Author Kathrin Hutson has been writing Dark Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and LGBTQ Speculative Fiction since 2000. With her wildly messed-up heroes, excruciating circumstances, impossible decisions, and Happily Never Afters, she’s a firm believer in piling on the intense action, showing a little character skin, and never skimping on violent means to bloody ends.
In addition to writing her own dark and enchanting fiction, Kathrin spends the other half of her time as a fiction ghostwriter of almost every genre, as Fiction Co-Editor for Burlington’s Mud Season Review, and as Director of TopShelf Interviews for TopShelf Magazine. She is a member of both the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Horror Writers Association. Kathrin lives in Colorado with her husband, their young daughter, and their two dogs, Sadie and Brucewillis.
For updates on new releases, exclusive deals, and dark surprises you won’t find anywhere else, sign up to Kathrin’s newsletter at kathrinhutsonfiction.com/newsletter.
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